Electric lighting fixture



May 14, 1946. I STEMPFL I 2,400,267

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1944 fax y 1946- F. STEMPFL EL'EcTRIc LIGHTING FIX-TURE Filed March-3, 1944 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 34/6 flr-roklle' .s.

the 'purpose of inspection, cleaning or lamp rea clip. 1

Patented May 14, 1946 sures .mm

Frederickstempfl, Wellston, Mo;, ,assignor to Day- Brite Lighting, Inc.,' St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri -1Application March a, 1944, seriainaszrsvs '6 Claims. (01. 240-78) This inventionrelates to electric lighting fixtures, particularly fluorescent lighting fixtures of the kind having removablelight modifying :covers or troughs for the'lamps. The principal object of the-invention is to provide quick detachablei-astening means for the removable lighting trough that-will permit said trough tog'be entirely removed from the fixture or lowered relative thereto to allow access to the interior-ofthetrough-for moval. The invention consistsin 1 the electric lighting fixture and=in the constructiongcombh nations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

- In the accompanying drawings, which .form part of this specification andiwherein li-ke symbols refer-to like parts-wherever they occur,

lowered trough in tilted position, Fig. '6' is an enlarged fragmentary vertical: longitudinalsection on the line-6 in 'Fig.-3,

Fig. 7 is a viewsimilanto Fig. 6- showing: the spring hanger clip imposition to permit downward-movement ofthe li'ghting trough relative to the wiring-housing,

Fig. 8 an enlarged fragmentary central longitudinal sectionon the line. 8?8 irr Fig. 4,

i Fig. 9 isan lelevational :view ..of..the operative side face ofone of. the suspensionor. hanger clips fo'rthelightingtrough; and

Fig; 10 is a side edge elevational view of said "In the accompanying drawings, my invention is shown embodied afluorescent lightinginfixturecomprising an upper. wiring housing :A that is fixedlysecured'inany -desired -man'ner- (not shown) to a-ceiling, beam or-other'overhead support -B; tubular lamps C supported-exteriorly' of said wiring housing-my means of. suitable lampholders D projecting therefrom near the ends thereof, and a lower light modifying member in the form of a trough or channel E which embraces said wiring housing and lamps and is provided with end walls I, a lowered bottom 2 and upwardly diverging light transmitting side panels 3. The fluorescent lighting fixture thus far described is of well-known construction -and ,it is considered unnecessary toillustrate it indetail. The lighting trough Eis removably suspended from the fixed overheadlwiring housing A at opposite ends of the fixturetby. means of suspension or hanger cIipsAof-spring metal. Eachof the clips 4 has its lower endportion .secured fiatwise to -theinner faceoftheendWaILI of the lighting trough-Eby means of ascrew 5. or. other fastener. The remaining, upper portion. of the spring clip A is free of theend wall: I. ofthelighting trough and is adapted to extend upwardly. into the wiring housing A throughan opening .16 inthe .bottom .thereof. Thefreeresilientportion of; the. clip 4- is offset outwardly intermediate its sends towards the endawall l of the wiringhousingAto form a :hook-likeportion 1; Hand the-free resilient portion of saidclip has its upper. endx-bentin the direction oisaidend walLto form .an upper hook 8. :In-thenormalor fullyraised position of the lighting trough'E, theintermediate.shoulder or hook :1 :of the springclip 4 snaps over the. edge of the openings inthe wiring housingA and seats on-the bottom'thereof and'thus serves to. support said lighting trough in such position. When, however, the free portion of the. .clip 4. is pressed inwardly to move the intermediate shoulder or hook portion :1 thereof clear of the edge. of the opening. 6, the lighting troughE may belowered awayirom thewiring housingA until the hook. 8

.at theupper endofsaid clip snaps over. said edge of said. opening, thereby. suspendingsaid lighting troughirom said wiring housingat. a lowerelevation. :In this lowered position of the lighting .gtrol gh E, sufiicient'space is provided between the latterandthe wiring housing .A toallow access to ;-the-fi-xture for th purpose of cleaning the parts :andv inspection and removal of the lamps. .When it is;desi red to mount and dismount the 1 lighting trough E, said/clip is forced; inwardly far enough to swing the vertically spacedhookg 7 .and 8 thereof clearof the edge of the opening 6 in the bottom of the wiring housing A so that said hooks will pass through said opening.

:Theclip 4; ismade-ofspring metal and, after =mouriting,;is. placed under tension so that it always tends to swing outwardlyin the direction of -the--end wall I. of; the lighting trough E. The spring clip, 4 is releaseddrom the edge of the siopeningt inthebottom of thew-iring, housing A by means of a push button 9 that is mounted in v the end wall .I of the lighting trough E in a position to be pushed inwardly against said clip to swing the hooks 1 and clip clear of said edge of said opening. I'he push button 9 is slidably suptrough E, permits said trough to be rocked sidewise to increase the space between the wiring housing and lighting trough on one side of .the

fixture. The free portion of the suspension clip 4 is of reduced width above the hook I to permit swinging movement of said clip in the opening 6' in the bottom of the wiring housing A in the lowered position of the lighting trough E; and the narrow portion of said clip is stiffened by side flanges l3.

The above described construction has several important advantages. It permits the lighting trough E to be quickly and easily looked to the wiring housing A, merely by entering the clips 4 in the slots 6 therein and pushing the lighting trough upwardly around said channel until the wide intermediate hooks or shoulders I snap over the edges of said slots. When it is desired to lower the lighting trough E for purposes of inspection, cleaning or lamp removal, the push buttons 9 at the ends of the lighting trough are forced inwardly to disengage the intermediate hooks 'l of the spring clips 4 from the edge of the slots 6 in the bottom of the wiring housing, thereby permitting said trough to drop down! wardly until the hooks 8 at the upper ends of said clips snap over the edges of said slots. When it is desired to remove the lighting trough E entirely from the fixture, the pressure on the buttons 9 is continued until the upper hooks 8 of the clips 4 also clear the edges of the slots 6. The above self-locking quick-releasable suspension device is simple and inexpensive andv can be quickly and easily incorporated in the fixture without material alteration thereof.

What I claim is:

1. An overhead electric lighting fixture comprising a fixed upper lamp supporting housing having an opening through the bottom thereof, a lower light modifying member and means for suspending said light modifying member from said lamp supporting housing at either of two elevations, said means comprising a springiclip fixed at its lower end to said light modifying member and having a free upper end portion extending upwardly through said opening, said portion of said clip having two vertically spaced laterally extending portions, one adapted to snap over the edge of said opening tohold said light modifying member at! one elevation and the other adapted to snap over said edge to hold said light modifying member at the otherelevation;

2. An overhead electric lighting fixture comprising a fixed upper lamp supporting housing, a lower light modifying member, means for securing said light modifying member to said housing, said means comprising a spring clipfixed to said light modifying member and having vertically spaced. portions selectively engageable with said housing, whereby said lower light modifying member is adapted to be suspended from said housing at either of two elevations, and means mounted in said light modifying member and accessible from the exterior thereof for manually releasing said portions of said clip from said housing whereby said light modifying member is adapted to beentirely removed therefrom.

; 1 3. An overhead electric lighting, fixture com- 10' prising a fixedupper wireway channel having an opening through the bottom thereof, a lower lighting trough, and a spring clip fixed at its lower end to said lighting trough and having a free upper end portion extending upwardly through said opening, said portion of said clip 'havingtwo vertically spaced hook portions adapted to snap'over the edge of said opening to thereby suspend said lighting trough from said wireway channel at either of two elevations.

4. An overhead electric lighting fixture comh prising a fixed upper wireway channel having a therethrough.

5. An overhead electric lighting fixture comprising a fixed upper wireway channel having a longitudinal slot through the bottom thereof, a lower lighting'trough, and a spring clip fixed at its lower end to said lighting trough and having a free upper portion extending upwardly through said slot with verticallyspaced hook portions adapted to snap over the edge thereof to thereby suspend said lighting trough from said wireway channel at either of two elevations, and manually operable meansmounted in said lighting trough and accessible from the exterior thereof for moving said hook portions of said clip clear of said edge of said slot to permit passage of said clip therethrough, said clip being shaped to prevent movement thereof crosswise'of said slot in the operative positionofthe lowermost hook portion and to permit rocking 'movement of said clip' crosswise of said slot in the operative position of the uppermost hook portion,

6. An overhead electric lighting fixture comprisin afixed npperiivireway, housing having an opening throughthe bottom thereof near each end, a lower lighting trough,;a spring clip fixed to each end of said lighting'troughand extending upwardly through saidopening, said portion of said clip having two vertically spaced hook por- .tions adapted to snap over'the edge of said open- ,ing toithereby suspend said lighting trough through said wireway housingat either of two elevations, and a push button mounted in said 

